Charles Pozzi

This article is about French racing driver. For the Italian con artist, see Charles Ponzi.
Charles Pozzi
Born(1909-08-27)27 August 1909
Died28 February 2001(2001-02-28) (aged 91)
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityFrance French
Active years1950
Teamsprivateer Talbot-Lago
Entries1 (1 start)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1950 French Grand Prix
Last entry1950 French Grand Prix

Charles Pozzi (27 August 1909 – 28 February 2001) was a French racing driver who participated in one World Championship Formula One race in 1950, the year of its inception.

Racing career

Born Carlo Alberto Pozzi in Paris, France of Italian parentage, he became known as Charles, the French translation of his name. He was working as an automobile broker and his career as a racing driver only began when he was already 37 years old. Later in life, as the official French importer of Ferrari and Maserati automobiles, his name was to appear on many racing cars.

In 1946, he competed, with his Delahaye 135CS, in several races including the Grand Prix of Bourgogne – Dijon where he finished in fourth position and the Le Mans Grand Prix, raced on the Nantes race track this year, where he finished in fifth position, driving a Delahaye.

In 1949, he won the Comminges sports car Grand Prix, in Saint-Gaudens, with a Delahaye 145 (chassis N° 48775), equipped with a 4.5-litre six-cylinder Delahaye 175 engine.[1][2][3]

Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer, entered into competition by Charles Pozzi's team

Major achievements

Category Date Race Team Car Position
Pre War apr.-46 5th Grand Prix de Nice Ecurie France Delahaye 135S 8
Pre War may-46 1st Grand Prix du Forez Ecurie France Delahaye 135CS 7
Pre War June-46 1st Coupe René le Bègue Ecurie France Delahaye 135CS 11
Pre War July-46 2nd Grand Prix de Bourgogne – Dijon Ecurie France Delahaye 135CS 4
Pre War July-46 1st Prix des 24 heures du Mans – Nantes Ecurie France Delahaye 135CS 5
Pre War aug.-46 1st Circuit des Trois Villes – Roubaix Ecurie France Delahaye 135CS 7
Pre War febr.-47 Stockholm Grand Prix Ecurie France Delahaye 135CS 5
Pre War June-47 3rd Grand Prix de Nîmes Ecurie France Delahaye 135CS 5
Pre War July-47 16th Grand Prix de la Marne – Reims Ecurie France Delahaye 135CS 7
Formula 2 July-47 9th Grand Prix d´Albi Private Delahaye 135CS 3
Pre War July-47 1st Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice Private Delahaye 135CS 5
Pre War aug.-47 2nd Grand Prix d´Alsace Private Talbot-Lago T150C Spéciale 5
Pre War sept.-47 18th Gran Premio d´Italia Private Delahaye 135CS 7
Pre War sept.-47 34th Grand Prix de l´ACF Private Delahaye 135CS 5
Pre War nov.-47 4th Coupe du Salon Private Delahaye 135CS 3
Pre War mar.-48 8th Grand Prix Automobile de Pau Private Talbot-Lago T150C 4
Pre War may-48 2nd Grand Prix de Paris Ecurie Lutetia[4] Delahaye 135S 11
Pre War July-48 8th Grand Prix de Suisse Private Talbot-Lago T26SS 7
Pre War July-48 35th Grand Prix de l´ACF Private Talbot-Lago T26SS 10
Pre War aug.-49 15th Grand Prix de voitures de sport de

l´ACF – Comminges

Private Delahaye 4.5-litre six 1
Pre War oct.-49 6th Coupe du Salon Private Delahaye 135CS 4
Formula 1 July-50 37th Grand Prix de l´ACF Ecurie Charles Pozzi Talbot-Lago T26C 6
Sports Car June-53 21st Grand Prix des 24 heures du Mans Automobiles Talbot Darracq Talbot-Lago T26GS 8

Note: 35th Grand Prix de L'ACF results shared with Louis Rosier as co-driver

  • 1947, raced at:
    • Grand Prix of Pau,
    • Grand Prix Automobile of Marseille,
    • Circuit des Remparts in Angoulême,
    • Grand Prix du Comminges in Saint-Gaudens.
  • 1948, raced at:
  • 1949, raced at Grand Prix Automobile of Pau,
  • 1952, won the 12 Hours of Casablanca,[6] Morocco
  • 1953, won :
    • the first position of the 12H of Hyères in the 2L category[7] and at the third overall position,
    • the second position of the 12H of Reims in the 2L category and the 6th position in the overall ranking. For these two events, he raced on the Ferrari 166MM Berlinetta Vignale which belong to his teammate François Picard.
    • the third position at the 12 Hours of Agadir Morocco with a Lancia Aurelia
  • 1954, finished :
    • the 12 hours of Hyères in 2nd position with a Ferrari 500 Mondial,[8]
    • the 12 hours of Reims in 9th position with the same car.
    • the hillclimb de Planfoy.

Pozzi's business

After his retirement from racing, he founded Charles Pozzi S.A., the official importer of Ferrari and Maserati motor vehicles in France. In 2003, the company was acquired by the Ferrari company. Ferrari dark blue paint Blu Pozzi was named in honour of Charles Pozzi.

Pozzi died in 2001 in Levallois-Perret, a suburb in western Paris.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 WDC Points
1950 Ecurie Rosier Talbot-Lago T26C Talbot Straight-6 GBR MON
DNA 		500 SUI BEL NC 0
Charles Pozzi FRA
6 * 		ITA
* Indicates Shared Drive with Louis Rosier

References

  1. ^ Snellman, Leif; Vaucourt, André (2009-10-26). "DELAHAYE: Societe des Automobiles Delahaye, Paris". The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing. Archived from the original on 2010-11-10. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  2. ^ Jolly, François (1980). Delahaye V12: Course, Sport & Tourisme (in French). Nîmes, France: Editions du Palmier. pp. 40, 44, 52. ISBN 978-2-914920-64-3.
  3. ^ Rousseau, Jacques; Caron, Jean-Paul (1988). "134". Guide de l'Automobile Française (in French). Paris: Solar. ISBN 2-263-01105-6.
  4. ^ Jolly, p. 47
  5. ^ Jolly, p. 44
  6. ^ [1] (fr)1952 12 hours of Casablanca
  7. ^ [2] Results 12H Hyères 1953
  8. ^ [3] Archived 2021-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Ranking 1954